Stephenson's nomination of the company designates the James River Association - an environmental group that once vied for its share of the $12.6 million Smithfield Foods pollution fine -to get the gold if Smithfield Foods wins.

Stephenson said Monday he talked with Smithfield Foods' officials last week about the application. The James River Association was his choice, he said, and the company agreed with it.

Word of the nomination - and a possible windfall for the group - came as a pleasant surprise to its executive director, Patricia Jackson.

"We certainly would never look a gift horse in the mouth," she said. "We'd appreciate anything we can get to improve the quality of the river."

The Newman's Own/George Award is named for the actor's line of foods, which includes spaghetti sauces and salad dressings, and Kennedy's slick monthly political magazine. In mid-April an American company is chosen for its philanthropic spirit, demonstrated through "its monetary gifts or through its participation in inventive programs that best develop a community's skills and foster its ambitions," according to the entry form.

Stephenson said the company should get the nod for its financial help in restoring the historic district, investment in the redevelopment of the riverfront and the millions of dollars it has put into improving the water quality of the Pagan River, according to the documents he sent with the nomination.

What he doesn't mention is that the company was fined for violating its water pollution permit nearly 7,000 times during several years and was forced to hook up to the sewer system. Smithfield Foods is appealing the fine, and a separate state pollution lawsuit against the company is pending in Isle of Wight Circuit Court.

Stephenson said the Town Council did not authorize the nomination, but he spoke informally with council members. No one, he said, had a problem with his sending the application under his name, with his title.

Jackson said the company's environmental history could be separated from its philanthropic efforts on behalf of the town.

"It's a different kind of issue," she said. "They have done a lot that's positive, and I wouldn't want to take that away from them. In a way, their recognition of possibly having this money coming back to the river shows where their sentiment lies now."

The town has been in a difficult position when it comes to supporting the meatpacking company, Stephenson said in an interview late last year. The Pagan River, which runs along the town's waterfront, was among those most affected by the company's waste discharges. But Smithfield Foods is also the town's largest employer and is responsible for about 17 percent of the town's tax base.

The rules of the contest state that supporting statements for the nominations can't be longer than 400 words, but Stephenson's go on for nearly 550.

Stephenson said he knew he was "pushing it" with his page and a half of material but hoped they wouldn't count every word.

"I hope they'll decide I was within the spirit of it," he said. "It's not like I sent them 50 pages."

Julie McCord, an assistant editor at "George," said it is unlikely that 150 extra words would make Stephenson's application be dumped.

"We've gotten nominations in all sorts of forms and lengths," she said.

McCord was unable to say how many entries the magazine has received but said "we got a lot more than we expected."

The entries are stacked up in "George's" Manhattan office, and judges will begin to sift through them this week, McCord said.

* Judi Tull can be reached at 357-6392 from southside or 247-4926 from the Peninsula.